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MacBook Pro unable to boot up [Stop Sign], after rEFIt Installation

I was trying to install Windows on my MacBook Pro, Intel Based.

Followed this tutorial, http://riactant.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/install-windows-on-boot-camp-using-exte rnal-usb-optical-drive/

Downloaded and installed rEFIt and rebooted my MacBook Twice.


After rebooting twice, my MacBook no longer boots up.

It will stay at the apple logo until it turns into a stop sign, a circle with a slash across.


I have searched desperately for a method but came to no conclusion.

When i did command + s, It keeps saying "Searching for root device", or something along that line.


When I tried to boot from my Installation disc while holding down C.

I went into Disk Utility and my Mac HD was renamed to disk0s2.


I am very afraid that my data will be lost, all my freelance invoices and work will be gone.


I am unable to go into safe mode.


I am VERY sure this happened immediately after I installed rEFIt.

If only there's a way for me to somehow restore to the moment before I installed this software.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Aug 16, 2011 7:52 AM

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Posted on Aug 16, 2011 8:06 AM

You ALWAYS should keep a backup BEFORE doing any work on your disks...


Did you have a Time Machine setup? Do you have any backups?


By the way all you needed to do is follow the install guide here:

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

You don't need any third party apps...

10 replies

Aug 16, 2011 8:17 AM in response to Derricketh

If you've never backed anything up because you weren't expecting to need backups, you would have lost all your data sooner or later no matter what else you did. Fooling unnecessarily with rEFIt just brought it about a little sooner.


Replace your hard drive before messing around with it any more. Once you get a new drive installed and your machine back up and running, mount the old one in an external enclosure and see whether data recovery software can salvage any of your files.


Data Rescue: http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php

FileSalvage: http://subrosasoft.com/OSXSoftware/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id= 1


Both utilities are offered in demo versions that will show you what the full version could recover before you have to pay for anything.

MacBook Pro unable to boot up [Stop Sign], after rEFIt Installation

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